‘Legend’ author Marie Lu reaches out to teens about writing

Marie Lu always knew she was going to publish a novel. But when she was younger while she was writing mostly fan fiction and learning to create her own stories, she wished she had someone to show her the way.

“Growing up, I didn’t know any writers and felt somewhat isolated,” Lu says.

Now, Lu is planning to help local teenagers with an upcoming writing workshop at the Clark County Library on Tuesday. The workshop will be from 3 to 5 p.m. in the storyroom; call 702-507-3436 for details.

“Having a workshop like this is incredibly impactful for teenagers,” she says. “I wish I had something like this when I was their age.”

Lu, the author of the “Legend” book series and “The Young Elites,” was once in their shoes, eager to better her skills as a writer.

Her family came to California from China when she was 5.

“I started writing to learn English,” she recalls. “My mom would give me an assignment to learn words and put them into sentences and paragraphs.”

As her English developed, so did her love for writing.

She always leaned toward science fiction and much of her early writing was “Harry Potter” and video game fan fiction.

By the time she was in high school, she would create her own worlds with new characters.

“They weren’t very good,” she admits.

She never realized this is what people could do for a living.

“I didn’t think I could make a living as a writer,” she says. “I didn’t make the connection that was something people got paid to do.”

After reading about another author getting a book deal, she made it her mission to one day become published.

In addition to her ambitions, she went to college and studied biology and political science.

“I was either going to be a doctor or a lawyer,” she says. “But I realize neither of those options were for me.”

After college, she applied, and was accepted to, a six-month internship at Disney Interactive Studios.

“When I was young, I drew as often as I wrote,” she says. “They were looking for an artist to intern and that’s how I ended up in the video game industry.”

During the job, she and fellow interns were tasked with presenting new ideas for video games. After the internship ended, she stayed for two more years.

All the while, she wrote in her spare time.

“I would always try to fit in at least an hour each day,” Lu says.

Ever since college, Lu had a book agent to shop around her book ideas. Even though all were rejected, she never gave up on a dream of being published.

While watching the ’90s version of “Les Miserables,” she had an idea for a book.

“I thought it would be a good idea to have a teenage fugitive instead of an adult one being chased by another teenager,” she says.

The basis of her “Legend” series was born.

“I always knew it was going to be multiple books, I just didn’t know how many,” she says.

“Since I grew up in the science fiction genre, my mind always revolved around series.”

In her kitchen, where there are lots of light and a slight breeze, Lu would put on music and watch as the characters took on a life of their own.

“I can’t write when it’s silent,” she says. “But the music can’t have lyrics. I listen to a lot of soundtracks for video games or Two Steps From Hell (a music production company), which does trailers for movies.”

Her agent was shopping the book around when Penguin Books, a publishing company, signed her for a three-series deal.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she says. “It didn’t seem real.”

After eight months of writing in the morning or editing pages before work, her final product hit bookstores.

Even though she was officially published, she wasn’t prepared to find out just how well she was doing.

“It’s one of those I-remember- exactly-where-I-was moments,” she says. “I was home for Christmas when I got the text from my publicist. She said we made it on The New York Times best-seller list. I had to read the text several times.”

Lu continued working on her follow-up books. With each new book came more and more success.

It’s an honor, she says, to be invited to help teenagers through this workshop.

Marie Nicole-Lyman, the branch manager for the Clark County Library, says they entered a contest last fall. The prize was to have Lu do a workshop for teenagers.

“We found out we won around December,” she says. “We are excited not only to have an author but a New York Times best-selling author speak here.”

Nicole-Lyman says it is especially exciting to have Lu, because she is known for her “Legend” series, which falls into the popular dystopian literature.

“We always have a wait list (for those books),” she says.

She adds it is valuable to have a program that can help teens grow as writers.

“I’m sure a lot of teens are interested in writing,” Nicole-Lyman says. “It’s a way to express themselves.”

In addition to the workshop, Lu is slated to have a question-and-answer session open to the public, starting at 7 p.m. in the library’s Main Theater. A book signing and reception will follow.

“When I first was starting out, I thought it was weird having to talk about these characters that were just ideas in my head,” she says. “Now, I’m used to it.”

At the event, Lu will have a chance to discuss her latest novel, “The Young Elites.” The sequel is out this fall while the third is being written.

“Plus, I’m working on a secret side project,” she says.

A lot has changed for Lu since first being published. No longer in the video game industry, she works part time from home.

“I had to learn how to write on a plane, or on a train or in a hotel room,” she says. “I’m used to it now.”

The “Legend” series is being looked at for a movie. The screenplay is done, Lu says, and now they are shopping around for a director.

“As a kid, being published was a fantasy, but being a film wasn’t even an option I considered,” she says. “This is something out of left field for me. I hope it goes through.”

Contact reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5201. Follow @mjlyle on Twitter.